The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-01-26
AN uNLucKY CHURCH MOUSE.
He Attends Prsyer-MeetiDg and Creates
CommotioD.
New York Snnl

A church mouse, although proyerbially
poor, has never had its character for meek
ness questioned. 1t has rever been limited
that there were any unrighteous frIvolities
about him. BE has been pitied for his pow
erty, facetiously alluded to as having brave
appetite, and some have even spoken in con-
tempt of his judgment in hanging around a
church any way. But the mouse has borne it
all in silence.
During services, when the congregation
slept and the good minister went on in the
even tenor of his sermon, the church mouse
has come out and made friendly calls at the
pews down the main aisle, as If looking for
charity from the well-fed people. Nobody
ever supposed that this lonely mouse would
be 50 vicious as to break up Methodist
prayer-meeting. These meetings are usually
noted for their spirited charges upon the
devil and his Gosts, and the noise of this en-
gagement is generally more than poor
church mouse can conscientiouSy face.
Bet the White Plains mouse in the Meth-
odist Church there was not that kind of a
mouse.
When Brother Plat was praying in E
sharp, and Brokers Romer and Cox and
Jeckmen were encouraging him by frequent
ordinations of approval away down
in G fat, the mouse came out to see what
was going on. What he saw and heard no
doubt affected bis nerves and caused him ID
lose bis head and his reckoning.
AS the battle went on the mouse concluded
that he must get under cover. Taking the
trousers leg, which CAPPED a welcome the
poor church mouse ran in. 1t was a fearful
mistake, for it cost him his life, frightened
Brother Jackman so badly that he imagined
the old enemy bad him, and temporarily
broke up Mr.. Platt's supplication.
When the mouse had turned the bend OF
Brother JaCkmsn's knee he exclaimed, ooh,
Lordl" in such pecuii y tone that il ar
rested the proceedings for an instant. When
he supplemented this exclamation with the
earthly remark, "0uchl' and then "Oh.
heavenm there was faint suspicion that
Brother Jackman was not giving his undi-
vided attention to the remarks which Brother
Platt was uttering. When the eyes of the
astonished brothers and sisters were riveted
upon Brother Jackman they beheld an ex-
| cited young man standing before them in a
stopping condition, holding on to some real
or imaginary substance, they were not GER
tain which, on the inside of his trousers leg,
| Just above his knee. His face grew livid,
and his breathing grew quick and hard. His
eyes were standing out like those of a snail,
and altogether he seemed perturbed.
Those of the more thoughtful and ex-
perienced brothers who had seen the athletic
exercises introduced by the Brooklyn
boys" vaguely suggested to themselves that
| this might be rehearsal but when Brother
Jackman slaughtered up his manly form
and shook his leg like tidy cat when she
gets her dainty foot wet, and the poor church
mouse dropped out OF the trousers leg limp
and habby on the Administer carpet, the
sisters shrieked and the more mature brothers
remarked: "Well, 1 swouw."
The poor little church mouse was dead.
There was no heart in the services after
this awful discovery, and when Brother Plat
had cut out good section of his prayer, and
Brother Lull had pronounced the beuedic-
ton, prayer-meeting dissolved. And the poor
little dead mouse was thrown out into the
cold, cruel snow.